Bread made from maize is considered as gluten free and thus recommended for people living with celiac disease. However, bread made from maize has inferior quality when compared with bread made from wheat. The aim of this investigation was to explore how plant-based gums impact the rheological characteristics of maize flour dough and the resulting bread quality. Various types of plant gums were employed at a ratio of 3% to the flour weight basis. Control samples were created using maize and wheat flour without the addition of gums. To provide a basis for comparison, dough and bread samples made from wheat flour were also utilized. The study examined the farinographic, pasting, gaseous release, and dough development rheological characteristics’ of the dough. The proximate composition, loaf and specific volumes, texture character, and sensory qualities of bread' were also examined. The inclusion of gums in maize flour had a significant effect on the dough's water absorption capacity (WAC) and degree of softening (DS), but it improved its gas retention capacity and stability. The addition of gums also had a considerable impact on most of the pasting profile. Furthermore, the bread loaf and specific volume were significantly affected by the addition of gums. The inclusion of gums had a notable impact on the specific volume and loaf volume of the bread. The firmness of the maize bread produced from the conventional maize flour was the highest, whereas the maize bread prepared from the dough sample added with Harar Sidamo gum (HSG) had the least amount of firmness.

Keywords: Celiac disease; Bread quality; Gum; Maize, Rheological property